Puppet and Imran are synonymous, retorts Maryam

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In a quick, yet scathing response to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan’s tweet in which he called Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi a puppet prime minister, Maryam Nawaz retorted that “puppet is a word synonymous with you [Imran Khan].”

Maryam, the daughter of ousted premier Nawaz Sharif, further said, “Are you [Imran] being ordered to post this [particular] tweet”.

Earlier in the day, Imran Khan said in his Twitter message that the ruling party was not removing Ishaq Dar as minister finance because “Sharif mafia” was afraid he would spill beans on alleged money laundering done by him for the Sharif family.

Moreover, Imran called Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi a puppet of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif, and criticised him for not removing Dar.

Various parties have demanded that the finance minister should step down in light of a corruption probe against him in the money laundering and corruption cases.

Reports of Dar’s resignation surfaced again on Saturday before being rubbished by the PML-N. Subsequently, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb had told reporters said that such reports are baseless; while a PM House statement said that in light of Dar’s ailing health, as per cabinet rules, the finance ministry portfolio had already come under the prime minister’s control.

Dar in hot waters 

A corruption reference pertaining to Dar’s owning assets disproportionate to his known sources of income was filed by NAB in light of the Supreme Court’s July 28 judgment in the Panama Papers case.

The accountability court hearing the corruption case against Dar — who is in London to receive medical treatment for his heart condition — issued non-bailable warrants after the minister failed to appear in court for the fourth time on November 14. The court also issued a notice to Dar’s guarantor for failing to ensure the presence of the minister and adjourned the hearing until November 21.